I’ve been mindful of water since we first started hearing about coronavirus and the need to wash our hands constantly. I thought about Detroit and Flint without access to clear, safe, affordable water. I thought about communities around the world in drought or flooding, both causing hardship for fresh water availability. Knowing how essential hand-washing… Read more »
March 25, 2020
World Water Day reflections
I’ve been mindful of water since we first started hearing about coronavirus and the need to wash our hands constantly. I thought about Detroit and Flint without access to clear, safe, affordable water. I thought about communities around the world in drought or flooding, both causing hardship for fresh water availability. Knowing how essential hand-washing… Read more »
REPORT ON COP25 December 2-15, 2019 Madrid, Spain INTRODUCTION: The annual United Nations meeting on climate change (known as the Conference of the Parties that have signed the international convention on climate change that was signed at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, and entered into force in 1994) met in Madrid, Spain. As this… 
PC(USA) is a founding member of the ecumenical Creation Justice Ministries. Rev. Rebecca Barnes, Presbyterian Hunger Program Coordinator, is the president of the board, and Christian Brooks, Domestic Policy Analyst for the Office of Public Witness, is also a board member. The Presbyterian Hunger Program is a proud supporter of Earth Day Sunday, with its… 
Christian Brooks of the Office of Public Witness (OPW), staff of Presbyterian Mission Agency, sent the below snapshots of how a demonstration on Wednesday on the urgency of climate change was met with strong force. Participants from COP 25, particularly indigenous leaders who felt that their voices were not being heard, disrupted the main meeting… 
Dialogue continues among countries as the COP 25 in Madrid. Faith communities created a statement on climate justice. PC(USA) is one of many signers. Read the Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change for COP25 Madrid 2019. One source for coverage of official events as well as side events is the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) produced by… 
While last week negotiations were navigated by many staff representatives of member nations, this week the country ministers with higher political positions arrive to finalize and continue negotiations. Observers and participants continue to learn and share and to demand strong action from all the governments of the world. This weekend included a climate march in… 
Photos from our delegation at the United Nations COP 25 in Madrid, as important and exciting learning and action continue to happen. (Photo credits to Sue Rheem, Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations).